Federal police find illegal mining fund by probed under Operation Car Wash

After monitoring two people probed under Operation Car Wash, the Federal Police (PF) has discovered that they had been funding the resumption of activities of a mining, known as Roosevelt Mining, where there are some of the world's most abundant deposits of diamonds. The mining is located in Cinta-Larga indigenous lands in Rondônia.

According to the Federal Police, for every R$1 million ($260,000) funded by them, to purchase machinery and fuel, and pay employees and indigenous people, they earned a profit of $1.5 million. "In other words, in six months, the potential earnings would be $3 million. Once it has happened since 2013, the values may reach $48 million. But this number has not been confirmed yet," said Chief of Police Bernardo Guidali Amaral, from the Federal Police superintendency in Rondônia and one of those responsible for Operation Cratons, launched Tuesday (Dec. 8).

Until the middle of the year, there were aroud 700 miners working at the place. According to the chief of police, taking into account only the woods  extracted  last year for the mining operations, the amount estimated surpasses $260,000, already defined as the minimum environmental damage.

"The mining ripped up to 30% of the forest since 2013, which proves that the activity has been in full swing, in one of the world's largest deposits, with good quality diamonds," said the chief of police. The federal police still examines the hypothesis that  fake certificates were issued to some of the diamond stones, as if they had been extracted from legal mining.

The two people probed under Operation Car Wash in Brasilia, had their calls and e-mails intercepted. "During investigations, we found out that they were involved in funding mining activities, buying machinery and hiring employees. After extracted, the diamonds were sent to the group funding the activities." Amaral reported.

Based on this finding, investigators were able to identify local executives and some indigenous—including caciques [leaders of the community]— participating in the scheme. "There are very strong connections between executives and indigenous cooperatives and associations," he reported. Until early afternoon, seven people had been arrested.

The names of those involved have not been disclosed to prevent jeopardizing investigations.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta